Bush sets record-longest vacation in recent history

[BuckNaked]

Think about it - your question answers itself

Nice try, but no cigar. Here are my questions again, to refresh your memory.

I understand that I have an obligation to society, which I'm meeting by paying my taxes. But at what point is enough enough? My family is paying tens of thousands of dollars in income taxes, and the guy in the inner city is not only paying nothing, he's living in subsidized housing, eating food purchased with foodstamps, and getting a hefty check back from EITC every year.

What am I getting for my money? We're driving on the same roads, we have the same police protection, the same crappy schools available ( though I wouldn't send my kids to the public school here if you paid me to), the same utilities, the same everything. What benefits am I reaping from society that he isn't?

 

[sodaseller]

I've lived in both and yeah, you can get fast service in the project and you probably know a lot of cops by name and ask for them directly. In rural areas you might sit there for hours; in pretty suburbs they just don't have much to do to begin with - of course they'll be there fast.

I think the cycle of dependency, blocks of people living on government funding creates it's own problems, and ensures poverty. But why discuss it when you can easily dismiss it all as sloganeering, racism, elitism, or some combination, thus preserving the central tenets of class warfare...

The suburbs largely live off the economic engine of the city. We have that debate all the time here. The County Commission trumpets the far lower taxes in Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa's high tax rates. But every day, those that live in the County commute in and on weekends they come in here for entertainment infrastructure etc, will the time decrying the taxes necessary to pay for it.

 

[chobie]

For those of you who have their knickers in a knot Bush's vacation is not nearly the longest.

It seems James Madison had a 4 month vacation when he was President.

http://hnn.us/articles/printfriendly/202.html

So I say, so what..................work is still being done. Knowing people who have worked at the White House communications agency a President of the U.S.A. is better hooked up to communicate and work than anyone anywhere.

You cry babies need to focus on more important things and stop trying to make mountains out of mole hills.

And what war was gong on while James Madison was on vacation? That's the point, people are dying while he's hanging out at the ranch. It's the impropriety of it.

Nice work on the name calling, btw. Very mature.

 

[BuckNaked]

So that's the issue? That he's on vacation during war time?

Not the first President to do so and won't be the last.

 

[sodaseller]

Nice try, but no cigar. Here are my questions again, to refresh your memory.

You can't figure out what hits the mark and what doesn't. You are asserting Lockean view of social contract, but without the social. Try a free rider analysis, or the definition of community. My point is, you aren't even understanding that the points you make makes no sense. We don't purchase the "public good" on marginal utility analysis. That said, you get far more than you realize. Your "point" is predicated on the suppostion tha the politically powerless derive more from government than the politically powerful do. Makes a lot of sense.

There are greater things on heaven and earth than are dreamed of in your philosophies

 

[chobie]

So that's the issue? That he's on vacation during war time?

Not the first President to do so and won't be the last.

No, a 5 week one. Its the timing and the time.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

And what war was gong on while James Madison was on vacation? That's the point, people are dying while he's hanging out at the ranch. It's the impropriety of it.

So once again you'd prefer he practice the Jimmy Carter method of being President: lock himself in the Oval Office until his term expires? Not very practical nor would it stop a single death from happening.

 

[BuckNaked]

You can't figure out what hits the mark and what doesn't. You are asserting Lockean view of social contract, but without the social. Try a free rider analysis, or the definition of community. My point is, you aren't even understanding that the points you make makes no sense. We don't purchase the "public good" on marginal utility analysis. That said, you get far more than you realize. Your "point" is predicated on the suppostion tha the politically powerless derive more from government than the politically powerful do. Makes a lot of sense.

There are greater things on heaven and earth than are dreamed of in your philosophies

In other words, you won't answer the questions. Thanks for at least making that clear.

 

[sodaseller]

In other words, you won't answer the questions. Thanks for at least making that clear.

Ok you baited me. Later when I have time, I'll type it out and explain. Not that you'd understand, and not because it's complex either

 

[Professor Mouse]

This is amusing. I am not sure if Bush watches TV (other than football games where pretzels are now banned) but the local cabel company that serves Crawford is about to air an ad from Cindy Sheehan. Mother of fallen soldier asks questions of President Bush

The above ad, paid for by Gold Star Families for Peace, will air on Crawford cable channels near Bush's ranch. The total ad buy is currently $15,000. The group plans to air the ad throughout August and wherever Bush visits during his vacation.

Sheehan's son, Casey, was an Army mechanic who was killed just five days after arriving in Iraq.

"He was only 24 and he died in his best friend’s arms," Sheehan says in the ad, directed at President Bush. "Casey was so good and so honest why can’t you be honest with us?"

"You were wrong about the weapons of mass destruction-you were wrong about the link between Iraq and Al Qaeda—you lied to us and because of your lies my son died," she ads.

While not a big ad buy, the ad is likely to get picked up by network and cable television news programs. Like the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which savaged Sen. John Kerry's (D-MA) presidential campaign, the reporting on the ad may draw more attention than the ad itself.

The ad comes a day after a press conference with Sheehan and 13 other military family members from across the country, including seven mothers whose sons were killed in Iraq, and shortly after a blogger conference call that generated buzz and got a mention in the Washington Post.

This should be fun to watch play out.

 

[peachgirl]

So that's the issue? That he's on vacation during war time?

Not the first President to do so and won't be the last.

So, what other Presidents spent 5 weeks on vacation during wartime? If you'd prefer, you could list the ones who spent the same percentage of their Presidency on vacation...either would be interesting to see.

 

[Professor Mouse]

People magazine is now covering this story. President Bush Will Not Meet Grieving Mom

Sheehan's son Casey was killed five days after he arrived in Iraq last year. He was 24.

"This is President Bush's accountability moment, and we are holding him accountable," a tearful Sheehan, 48, told reporters Wednesday. "He's on vacation here for five weeks. I don't understand why he can't take an hour to speak with somebody whose life he has devastated." ...

More than 40 American soldiers have been killed this month, most of them due to bombings.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

Those are only two indicators of the current economic situation. Are we going to ignore job growth, low inflation, mortgage rates that are barely .5% above the 45 year low, stock prices generally higher, profits in many industries up and growing, GNP growing at a steady pace, and many other positive economic factors too numerous to mention?

C'mon...you know the rules. If there's one thing I've learned from you conservative posters is that information that is spouted off the top of your head, or "many other positive factors too numerous to mention" is not legit. I'd like to see hard numbers with research to back them up.

I have no problem with free fair trade with China. The problem is the huge imbalance that we are experiencing now. China’s trade surplus with the United States was $162 billion in 2004, a 30.6% increase since 2003 and the United States' largest bilateral deficit, according to the Feds numbers posted Feb. 10th, 2005.

 

[BuckNaked]

Ok you baited me. Later when I have time, I'll type it out and explain. Not that you'd understand, and not because it's complex either

It was a very simple question, and it should have a simple answer - how much is enough? How much do I have to pay until I've done my share, according to you?

 

[peachgirl]

People magazine is now covering this story. President Bush Will Not Meet Grieving Mom

A rather disturbing quote from the article...

"I understand the anguish that some feel about the death that takes place," Bush said.

What a cold, calculated way to describe the deaths of American soldiers...
"the death"???

That SOME feel???

I suppose it's good that he at least "understands" the anguish...too bad he doesn't feel it as well.

 

[C.Ann]

Personally, I don't care if the President takes 5 weeks of vacation or not - as long as he keeps his eye on the ball..

I just wish he hadn't decided to become a member of the DIS - under an assumed name and different gender..

 

[Professor Mouse]

One interesting thing will be to see how low Bush's poll numbers go with the bad press that he is gettng from the Sheehan protests. His poll numbers on Iraq are already pretty bad. The President's Vacation From Reality

So far, the President has refused to listen to Cindy Sheehan, who says, "The sound I do want to hear is the sound of a nation waking up." But that wake-up call is being heard by the majority of Americans. In the latest Gallup/CNN/USA Today poll, 54 percent of Americans surveyed said the US made a mistake in sending troops to Iraq. That number is up eight points from July. Fifty-one percent of those surveyed said the Bush Administration deliberately misled the public about the reasons for going to war. Fifty-eight percent said that, no matter how long US troops remain in Iraq, they will not be able to establish a stable, democratic government there.

George Bush has been listening for too long to Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Condi Rice. He should take a real vacation from the neocon fantasy factory of his misguided aides and sit down with someone who can introduce him to the reality of what is going on in Iraq and the world. The President should meet with Cindy Sheehan. And he should listen to this woman, who has sacrificed more than he or anyone in his inner circle ever has for America.

These polls were done before the start of Bush's five week vacation and the Sheehan protests. We may not know the full effect of the Sheehan protests until September or so but these numbers should continue to decline.

 

[ThAnswr]

Sorry, but I didn't YAGE... just apologized for dragging the thread off-topic. However, since it seemed destined to live it's own life, I happily rejoined. It's sad you have a problem with people who disagree with your POV and choose to participate.

I don't give a crap what your pov of view is and I'm really, really glad you rejoined the discussion so me and the rest of the peanut gallery have a bird's eye view watching you tie yourself in knots sliming a grieving mother who lost her son in Iraq.

Strip away all the political sloganeering, all the letters from the family members, and all the political agendas, and what your left with is a mother who lost her son.

You are doing more to exemplfy the phony moral/family values of the right and the rightie slime machine.

Please, stick around.

 

[ThAnswr]

40 Soldiers Have Died While Bush Vacations

While that's sad news Kyle, I still don't see a President's vacation as the same as the one your or I take. No one better call me while I'm on vacation but I sure as heck expect the President be available 24/7.

Bush attended a fund raiser today and as his car sped by, he got his first-time first-hand view of the crosses and protestors at "Camp Crawford".

What a photo-op.

 

[JoeEpcotRocks]

I don't give a crap what your pov of view is and I'm really, really glad you rejoined the discussion so me and the rest of the peanut gallery have a bird's eye view watching you tie yourself in knots sliming a grieving mother who lost her son in Iraq.

Strip away all the political sloganeering, all the letters from the family members, and all the political agendas, and what your left with is a mother who lost her son.

You are doing more to exemplfy the phony moral/family values of the right and the rightie slime machine.

Please, stick around.

She's not just a grieving mother. She's a war protestor stomping on graves. She's made her inane views very clear already. She just wants to meet with Bush so she can yell and scream at him and get more press for herself. It's all about her.

She's the one doing the sliming.